The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule on July 13, 2021. This annual proposed rule outlines all changes to the upcoming calendar year pertaining to Medicare payment for physician services.
ACR staff are reviewing the proposed rule and have prepared an initial high-level summary of some of its key provisions. In addition, ACR Government Affairs Committee Chair Blair Solow, MD, offers the following statement:
“We applaud the CMS’s continued implementation of adjustments to evaluation and management code reimbursement to better reflect the work and expertise needed to treat complex patient populations. We are encouraged to see that policymakers are moving to recognize the true value of these services.
“In addition, we are encouraged by CMS’s proposal to extend several of the telehealth flexibilities implemented at the start of the public health emergency through the end of 2023, as well as its commitment to evaluate whether these changes should be made permanent. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that telehealth is an effective tool to provide quality care for patients living with musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases and we look forward to continued engagement with CMS.
“Further, we are pleased that CMS has accepted the ACR’s proposal to establish a MACRA MIPS Value Pathways (MVP) for rheumatology and look forward to working with the agency to ensure its successful implementation.”
